This invention relates generally to vehicle convertible tops and, more particularly, to an improved topstack tack strip and method of mounting the tack strip on the vehicle body.
Conventional convertible topstacks have a rear top fabric hem that is stapled to a tack strip that comprises a plastic insert in an aluminum extruded holder that is then secured by as many as 19 bolts to the vehicle body after the topstack frame is mounted to the body. This bolting process requires a substantial amount of manual labor and judgment to assure that the tack strip is properly mounted. As such, it is a time-consuming and expensive assembly operation.
It would be desirable to provide an improved tack strip and to simplify the mounting of it on the vehicle body.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved tack strip and to simplify the mounting of it on the vehicle body.
In one aspect, this invention features a convertible vehicle having a body opening to a top storage compartment which stores a topstack. The topstack comprises a collapsible frame with a fabric cover and is raised and lowered through this opening and is initially inserted through the opening for attachment of its mounting brackets to the vehicle body. The top cover has a rear hem that is secured to a U-shaped tack strip that is sufficiently flexible to partially collapse to enable insertion through the body opening. The tack strip has one or more stop members mounted on it which engage mating stop clips on the body adjacent the opening. When the top is raised, the stop member engages the top and front lip of the stop clip to limit upward and forward movement of the tack strip to anchor the top cover rear hem and tension the cover.
The vehicle body has a water drain trough spaced below the lip of the body opening. Spring latch clips or other retainers are optionally placed adjacent the drain trough beneath the tack strip to latch the tack strip in place and to limit lowering movement of the tack strip.
The tack strip is preferably a unitary piece of glass-filled plastic to provide the needed flexibility.
These and further objects and features of this invention will become more readily apparent upon reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: